SciMathUS is a university preparation programme that provides aspiring higher education students with an opportunity to improve their Mathematics and Physical Sciences marks in the NSC examination and become eligible to apply for the university course of their choice.

THE STORY OF GERALD MAARMAN

The announcement of the Grade 12 national senior certificate (NSC) results in South Africa is a deal breaker for students who wait anxiously to know if they can join higher education institutions to study further. In 2003, Gerald Maarman was one of the learners who was devastated by the outcome of his Grade 12 results. Gerald grew up in Eerste River, a gangster-ridden area on the Cape Flats known for its high crime rate and socio-economic challenges, very few learners from this area enter higher education. Like many of his peers, Gerald dreamt of becoming a doctor, and believed that pursuing further education would be his ticket out of poverty. This, however, was not to be. “I was one of the best in my school, but one of the worst in the country.”

The marks that Gerald obtained in Grade 12 were not good enough for him to be selected into any degree programme by higher education institutions especially in the specialized field of Medicine that required high marks in both Mathematics and Physical Science.  There is a myriad of research that has been done in the NSC attainment in South Africa which has proved that Grade 12 results are a problem to students who wish to join higher education studies, especially in the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) fields of study. In 2023, only 262,016 of Grade 12 learners took Mathematics as a subject, and only 6% of them obtained a Mathematics mark (60%) that enables them to enter higher education in a STEM field. Since 2001, SciMathUS (Science and Maths at the University of Stellenbosch) has created a lifeline for 2067 such learners.

SciMathUS

SciMathUS is a university preparation programme that provides aspiring higher education students with an opportunity to improve their Mathematics and Physical Sciences marks in the NSC examination and become eligible to apply for the university course of their choice. Applications for SciMathUS mainly occur after Grade 12 results have been released and learners realise they do not meet the selection requirements for their intended university studies.

To be considered for admission to the SciMathUS programme, applicants should have passed Grade 12 with an average mark of at least 60%, obtained a minimum mark of 50% in Afrikaans or English, and a minimum mark of 45% in Mathematics and Physical Sciences. The selection criteria furthermore include their school and home circumstances. These students often come from educationally disadvantaged backgrounds that denies them an opportunity to demonstrate their academic potential, limiting their chances to access higher education. It is the overwhelming need for a programme like SciMathUS that makes selection highly competitive. In the last two years (2023 and 2024), nearly 2000 applications were received for the +-130 available spaces.

LOGISTICS

When the selection process has been concluded, students are informed early February, and classes begin in accordance with Stellenbosch University’s schedule in mid-February. Four compulsory subjects, Mathematics, Physical Sciences, Computer Literacy, and Academic Literacy & Thinking Skills are offered according to an active learning approach. The process involves students taking responsibility for their own learning while being guided by facilitators who are experts in their fields. The programme is enriched by collaboration between students, who bring different learning methods to the programme, and experienced facilitators, who have a track record of producing excellent results over the years of offering their respective subjects at SciMathUS.

To complement the set coursework, students undertake a research project on a mathematical or scientific topic. This project involves thorough research, report writing, and presentation of findings. The process of the research enhances their analytical and communication skills, preparing them for the research-driven nature of higher education.

Transitioning from high school to higher education can be a daunting experience. This is especially true for students from underserved and rural communities, like the majority of SciMathUS students. For this reason, the programme includes integrated, holistic student support. About 75% of the selected students live in a residence on campus where they are supported by mentors, most of whom are SciMathUS alumni. Students are also offered career guidance and psychosocial support. The SciMathUS facilitators do not take the typical role of lecturers, who are unapproachable outside class times, but play a supportive role to the students who need more academic mentoring. They spend many hours per week with the students, establishing strong relationships. The programme prides itself on the investment facilitators make in the students’ learning. According to the programme manager, Nokwanda Siyengo, one of the major strengths of the programme is its staff: “Most of the staff members have been in the programme for more than ten years. SciMathUS has become part of our livelihood, and the team gives the best of what they can to students that join the programme. These relationships continue long after the students have graduated and joined the world of work.”

SUCCESSES

Almost 90% of SciMathUS alumni enter higher education. Of these, 70% enrol at Stellenbosch University, where SciMathUS is based. Between 2003 and 2023, Stellenbosch University has awarded 861 degrees to SciMathUS alumni, including 324 postgraduate degrees of which 6 are PhDs. Gerald Maarman is one of these students. He received his master’s degree in medical Physiology in 2010, and completed his PhD in Medical Sciences at UCT in 2014. SciMathUS offered him the stepping stone which became the lifeline that he needed.

Gerald is currently a National Research Foundation-rated researcher and senior lecturer in the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences at Stellenbosch University.

“For me, SciMathUS was hope, a ray of hope. If we could have a SciMathUS in every school in this country, it could cause a revolution in the education system in South Africa, they just do something that you find nowhere else.”